JUST DESSERTS
BRISTOL MAN WHO SLASHED CABBIE IN FACE GETS COMBINED SENTENCE OF OVER 11 YEARS
A man who said he wanted to stab someone, slashed a cabbie in the face and robbed him. The Bristol Post reports that Daniel Armstrong-Eccles had produced a blade and stated he had wanted to carry out a stabbing, Bristol Crown Court heard. When cabbie Makhron Miah arrived to take Armstrong-Eccles and a friend to Bedminster, they refused to pay the fare upfront. Armstrong-Eccles then produced a knife and slashed the cabbie from his left eye to his left ear and also stabbed him in the back, the court was told. He then said: “Give me all your money, where’s the money.” The court heard a wounded Mr Miah handed over £30 and said: “Please don’t kill me, I don’t have anymore.” With that the robber fled, the court heard, leaving his flip-flop style shoes
at the scene. The two men boarded a bus, where Arm- s trong-Ec cles counted the cash. In the meantime police attended the scene and gave a shocked and bleed- ing Mr Miah first aid. He was taken to hospital for stitches to his cut face. A search of the area was conducted by officers, with assistance from the police helicopter, and the 25-year-old was arrested that same evening on suspicion of robbery telling police: “That’s news to me.” The 25-year-old, from Hartcliffe, plead- ed guilty to robbery and possessing a blade on October 31 2020. Mr Miah made an impact statement in which he said he thought he was going
to die and was scarred for life. The father-of-two stated he was back in his taxi again, but was nervous. Judge Michael Longman handed Armstrong-Eccles an 11-and-a-half year sentence, comprising six-and-a-half years’ custody and five years’ extended licence. The judge told him: “You had taken both alcohol and cocaine know- ing how that combination effects your behaviour. You can’t remember the circumstances. You armed yourself with a knife. It seems you had stated an intention to use it by stabbing someone before you actually did so.” The judge told him he would serve at least two-thirds of the custodial term before the parole board considers his suitability for release. Peter Binder, defending, said his client had mental health issues but had “fallen through the cracks”.
ORMSKIRK PHV DRIVER HIGH ON COCAINE AND DRIVING WITH PASSENGER BANNED FOR 15 MONTHS
A private hire driver was caught high on cocaine while driving a passenger through Huyton. The Liverpool Echo reports that Shaun Porteous was stopped by police after they spotted his fare wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. But officers became suspicious of the dad-of-three who was showing “signs of drug use”. Despite initially denying taking any drugs, a roadside test revealed he was over three times the legal limit. Andrew Page, prosecuting at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on 7 June, said police pulled over the Ford Galaxy at 2.20pm on October 1 last year. He said there was a “small amount of cannabis” on the rear seat next to the passenger, which Porteous said he was unaware of. During the roadside test Porteous
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returned a result of 158 micrograms of benzoylecgonine, a by-product of co- caine, per litre of blood. Porteous has a pre- vious conviction for dangerous driving in 2004, but no previous drink or drug driving convictions. Keith Webster, defending, said it was “above and beyond wrongdoing” and explained his private hire driving career had been “coming to an end very much because of the pandemic”. Mr Webster added: “This has, quite rightly, put an end to it.” He said Porteous regretted his actions and was remorseful.
Porteous, from Ormskirk, admitted driving a motor vehicle with a propor- tion of benzoylecgonine above the specified limit. District Judge Wendy Lloyd, sentencing, said it was an “obvious aggravating feature” that he had a “paying passenger” in the car. The judge said: “It is different when you’re a taxi driver, you’re putting others at risk as well as yourself and you are making a profit from it. “You lied at first to the police, I’m sure out of sheer panic.” District Judge Lloyd said his previous conviction for dangerous driving was “a very long time ago”. Porteous was banned from driving for 15 months. He was fined £200 and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £34.
JULY 2021
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